Drinking Water and Eating Won't Prevent Your Hangover

So much for ending a night out curled up in bed with mozzarella sticks and a water bottle the size of a small child -- science has proven that your post-drinking routine isn't going to do anything to stop your hangover.

A new study presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Amsterdam surveyed 826 Dutch students about their post-drinking habits, and, while those who ate food or drank water showed a slight improvement in how they felt, there was no real change in the severity of their hangovers.

Joris Verster, lead author of the study, told the BBC, "Drinking water may help against thirst and a dry mouth, but it will not take away the misery, the headache and the nausea."

And it looks like we're destined to live in misery for a while -- scientists still don't know what causes hangovers. "Research has concluded that it's not simply dehydration -- we know the immune system is involved," Verster said, "but before we know what causes it, it's very unlikely we'll find an effective cure." Fantastic, thanks guys.

The research team also surveyed 789 Canadian students about their drinking in the previous month, including the amount of drinks consumed, the timing of their consumption, and the severity of their hangover the next morning. The findings were pretty obvious: the more you drink, the more likely you are to have a hangover.

So, for now, the only way real you're going to avoid a hangover is to drink less. But, it's still probably a good idea to get those mozzarella sticks... because they're delicious.

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Lucy Meilus is a staff writer for Thrillist and will definitely just keep following the regular routine. Follow her on Twitter at @Lucymeilus and send news tips to news@thrillist.com